• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah"
• LCD Soundsystem "Sound of Silver"
• The National "Boxer"
• Sufjan Stevens "Illinois"
• The Decemberists "Picaresque"
• Arcade Fire "Funeral"
• Radiohead "Kid A"
• The Mountain Goats "All Hail West Texas"
• Sigur Ros "Ágætis Byrjun"
• Los Campesinos! "Hold On Now, Youngster..."

Honorable Mention

• Broken Social Scene "You Forgot It in People"
• The Postal Service "Give Up"
• The Wrens "Meadowlands"
• Kanye West "Graduation"
• The New Pornographers "Mass Romantic"
• Rilo Kiley "More Adventurous"
• M.I.A. "Kala"
• Why? "Alopecia"
• Spoon "Girls Can Tell"
• The National "Alligator"
• The Hold Steady "Boys and Girls in America"
• Lupe Fiasco "Lupe Fiasco's The Cool"
• The Shins "Chutes Too Narrow"
• Mates of State "Team Boo"
• Iron & Wine "Our Endless Numbered Days"
• Radiohead "Hail to the Thief"
• TV on the Radio "Dear Science"
• Wilco "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
• Bon Iver "For Emma, Forever Ago"
• Madvillain "Madvillainy"